Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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5. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on the IDA commitment to deliver an advanced building solution in Longford town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53733/22]

Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, is very familiar with Longford and has seen the success and benefits of foreign direct investment, FDI, in the town. Indeed, he has commented on it previously. In a half-mile triangle in the town we now have three companies employing 2,300 people. That is certain to grow with Abbott Diagnostics, Avery Dennison Medical and Technimark Ireland all focused on growth plans. Mindful of the importance of foreign direct investment, FDI, for provincial Ireland, I ask the Minister of State to update the House on the IDA's plans for an advanced building solution for Longford town.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Flaherty for his question. As the House knows, regional development is at the centre of IDA Ireland's current strategy, Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021-2024. Under this strategy the IDA is targeting half of all investments to regional locations which aligns with the objectives of the programme for Government. Specifically, the IDA is targeting 25 investments for the midlands region, including Longford, in the period from 2021 to 2024.

Longford, as Deputy Flaherty has said, is already home to six IDA Ireland client companies directly employing more than 1,300 people and has an impressive range of companies across all industry sectors, with strengths in life science, technology, global business services, international financial services and engineering in industrial technologies.

In respect of the specific question from Deputy Flaherty, IDA Ireland has advised me that the site selection process for the advanced building solution in Longford is ongoing. The IDA continues to liaise with Longford County Council and with wider stakeholders as it seeks to find a suitable site for the proposed facility.

The timely provision of appropriate, innovative and cost-effective property and infrastructure solutions that meet the needs of our multinational community remains essential to winning FDI. Over the last five years the IDA regional property programme enabled the winning of capital-intensive projects of significant scale to regional locations. In a competitive and uncertain global environment, the IDA's regional property programme, supported by my Department, ensures the supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations, as required by current and prospective clients of both IDA and Enterprise Ireland.

The IDA's plan is to deliver 19 advanced building solutions in 15 regional locations across the country, including in Athlone, Longford and Mullingar. National capital investment plans outlined in the new IDA strategy, subject to planning permission and public procurement processes, are expected to commence and be delivered within the term of the new strategy at all identified locations. The Exchequer allocation for the IDA regional property programme in 2022 includes an additional €10 million, bringing the budget for that programme to €52 million.

Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for that update. Technimark Ireland is nearing completion of a new wing at its factory in Longford town and will shortly be adding 100 staff to its workforce. In the coming days, we are expecting Abbott Diagnostics to lodge a planning application for a major expansion at its plant in Longford town which, doubtless, will lead to additional employment there also. Throughout the period of the crash we saw the importance of FDI for provincial Ireland. The towns that prospered or survived best during that time were those that had the benefit of tourism or of FDI. The Minister of State will be very familiar with the importance of tourism in the context of Westport and many of the provincial towns in Mayo but where there was no tourism, it was those towns that had the benefit and the crutch of FDI that did best. Notwithstanding the successes to date in Longford, it is critical that the Department makes it an absolute priority to ensure that IDA Ireland delivers a new advanced building solution for Longford town without any further delay. I am conscious that there is a commitment to deliver before 2024 but we are now at the end of 2022. This is an absolute priority for Longford.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I will work with Deputy Flaherty and all of our Oireachtas colleagues from Longford to ensure that this happens. In addition to that, the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, investment of €10.4 million in the Camlin Quarter in Longford town, the rural regeneration development fund, RRDF, investment of €1.1 million in Granard, along with the investments in Ballymahon through the very successful Center Parcs project, demonstrate a whole-of-county approach that is essential for attracting FDI.

In recent weeks we have also engaged with the chair of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan on its work. I look forward to working with Deputy Flaherty on the implementation of that plan as well.

Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I am familiar with the IDA plans for 19 advanced building facilities around the country. By way of an update, the Carlow facility is almost ready, while the one in Cavan is expected to be ready in 2023. The IDA has recently purchased lands in Kerry, while the facilities at Galway, Dundalk, Monaghan and Sligo have all been built. Planning permission was recently granted for a facility in Athlone and the plans for Mullingar are advancing. As the Minister of State said, there is a commitment to deliver plants in Longford, Mullingar and Athlone before 2024. I implore the Minister of State to visit Longford at his earliest convenience to meet officials from Longford County Council. It behoves the local authority to take the lead on this and acquire a site. On that basis, there would be no excuse for the IDA but to press ahead. The quest for a site has been dragging on for too long. We need the local authority to take the lead on this and then IDA Ireland can follow through with the investment.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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We want to see this done right across the country and that is why the Tánaiste has prioritised within the Department the investment in the regional property programme. I am more than happy to go to Longford to meet Deputy Flaherty and the officials from the local authority. Longford County Council has an excellent chief executive. We trained him well in Mayo before we sent him to Longford. I am happy to work with everyone involved in attracting more investment to the regions.